Joseph l



Patented Apr. 5, 1887.

' J. L. WILLPORD. LUBRICATOR.

(No Mode-1.)

Wz'nfovew applied as well to any other suitable form of V UNITED' STATES PATENT OFFICE..

JOSEPH L. WILLFORD, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

LUBRICAToR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 360,749, dated April 5, 1887.

Application filed Juno l5, 1886'. Se1'ii1lNo.205,ll(l. (No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, JOSEPH L. WILLFORD, of Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain Improvements in Lubricators, of which the struction, and that will constantly supplythe lubricant to the bearingsurfaces as long as one ,of them is in motion.

My inventionconsists, generally, in a lubricator having a loose disk, button, or ring that travels in an annular recess or chamber around a shaft,axle, arbor,or journal, and forcesthe lubricating material from the lower part of the recess or chamber up and over the bearingsurfaces.

The invention also consists in the construction and combination hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figurel is an end elevation,partiallybroken away,of a j-ournal-boxand journal having myinvention applied thereto. Fig. 2is a plan of the same with the cap or upper half-box removed. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section online X X, Fig. 1. Fig.` 4 is aview similiar to Fig. 3, but showing a'slightly modified construction of journal. Figs. 5, 6 are details.

In the drawings,3 represents a j ournal,shaft, or aXle, which may be any ordinary or preferred construction. I have shown this journal mounted in a j ournal-boX consisting of a lower half -boX, 5, and cap 7, secured thereto by screws or other suitable means.

Thejournal-box herein shown is ofa common form, and I do not wish to be understood as conning myself thereto, as theinvention may be journal box or bearing.

In the journal-box is an annular recess,

and returning it to the oil-receptacle.

groove, or chamber, 9, that extends entirely around the shaft or journal, as indicated by the dotted lilies in Fig. 1. In this groove I place a disk, button, or ring, 6, which is preferably formed of an elastic or semi-elastic material, such as rubber, cork, or leather. The diameter of the disk or ring is slightly greater than the distance between the bottom of the' groove and the surface of the journal. The disk or ring is thereby slightly compressed, so 6o ,that the friction between its surface and the Vsurface of the shaft is sufficient to cause it to be rolled along in the groove as the shaft is rotated and to travel around the shaft in the groove or chamber 9. The oil for lubricating the bearing is supplied to the lower part of the groove 9,preferably by being placed in a suitable well or receptacle, as l1, commu* nicating with the groove 9 by suitable openings, as 13. rlhis device thatA travels in the 7o groove and conveys the oil up around the shaft, axle, orjournal I'designate as a followerJ I prefer to provide the journal-box withl suitable grooves, l5, arranged near its ends and communicating with the oil-well through openings l17, for the purposeof catching the surplus oil that oozes through between the journal and the bearing-surface of the box, I-also prefer to have the oil-well open to the upper 8o surface of the lower half-box, as shown in Fig.

2, so that any oil that drifts into the packing in the joint between the lower half-box and the-cap will pass through this opening into the oil-receptacle instead of working through to the outside of the box.

The operation of the device is as follows: The receptacle being supplied with oil, a portion of it .passes into the lower part of the groove or chamber 9. As the shaft rotates,the go disk or ring 6 travels around the shaft in the chamber 9,and each time itpasses through the ,lower part of the chamber it forces a portion of the Oil along infront of it and carries it up and around the shaft. During its passage along the chamber 9 the oil oozes between the shaft and the bearing-surfaces of the box, and 1 thereby their surfaces are constantly lubricated. The surplus oil returns to the oil-well, and the operation continues while the shaft is roo in motion. rIhe thickness of the disk will, preferably be a little less than the width of the groove. The width of the groove and the thickness of the disk may be varied, as required by the amount of oil necessary to properly lubricate the bearing.

By using disks of different thickness, the supply of oil may be regulated. In some instances I prefer to use a light steel ring, 6, as shown in Fig. l. This ring has the advantage of not being liable to set and retain the shape into which it is forced by the pressure upon it when the shaft remains stationary for some time. I ind that a disk of cork, rubber, or leather, Fig. 5, or a gasket of such material, Fig. 6,01` a leather gasket having a metal spring within it, may be used with excellent results.

I do not eonne myself to any particular material for the disk (i, or to any particular shape therefor, as the same may be varied without departing from my invention, and I wish to be understood as elaiming,broadly, the form here shown and described, or its equivalent, for the purpose of moving the oil in the groove 9. In someinstances thejournal or arbor may beprovided with a collar, 19, Fig. 4, that projects into the groove 9. In this case the ring will bear against the edge of the collar. rI his construction is especially adapted for the rolls of roller` grinding-mills in which a collar on the journal is required to keep the roll from moving lengthwise in its bearings.

In some instances the journal may have a concave groove in its surface and the bottom of the groove 9 may be of similar form. In this instance the edge of the ring will preferably be made convex, to adapt it to the groove in the shaft. With this construction the ring will be guided in its travel by this groove.

The lubricator may also be applied to loose pulleys running upon a stationary shaft without departing from my invention. In this case the groove9 will be in the moving part of the bearing, instead of in the stationary part.

I claim as my invention- 1. A shaft, journal, or axle box having an annular groove in its inner surface, in comblnation with an elastic follower traveling around in said groove and conveying the lubrleant from the lower to the upper part thereof, for the purpose specified.

2. A lubrieator consisting ofa journal-box having an annular groove on its inner surface and a circular follower travelingin said groove, substantially as described.

3. 'Ihc combination, with the shaftor journal, of the journal-box having the annular groove 9, and the circular follower in said groove, for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination, with a shaft or journal, as 3, of the journal-box having an annular groove or recess, an oil well or receptacle communicating with said groove,and a circular follower, 6, arranged in said groove, for the purpose set forth.

5. rIhecombination,withajournaloraXle,as 3,ofa journal-box, as 5 7, having an annular groove therein, and an oil-receptacle communicating with said groove and having the grooves l5 and openings 17, and the circular follower 6, all substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination, with a shaft or journal, of the journal-box consisting of the hall'- boX 5 and cap 7, having the annular groove 9, the circular follower 6, arranged therein,and the oil-receptacle 11, communicating with said groove and opening to the top of the lower half-box, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 28th day of May, 1886.

JOSEPH L. VILLFORD.

In presence of- A. C. PAUL, R. H. SANFORD. 

